Waist.



' inforcing-section.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMASB. FITZPATRIOK, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WAIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,440, dated July 25, 1899.

' Application filed December 4, I896- Serial No. 614,470. (No model.) 4

'10 tall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. FITZPAT- RICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefullmprovementin Ohildrens-Waists, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofv this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention is an improvement upon that described in my Patent No. 349,351, dated November 5, 1895. The said patent describes a childs underwaist made of elastic material reinforced by the application thereto of elastic reinforcing-strips, to which attaching buttons or devices are secured. These strips have been made of one thickness of material having raw or unfinished edges and were united to the body of the garment by elastic overstitching, which also acted as a finish for the raw edges. This structure, however, has notbeen entirely satisfactory on account of the liability of the raw edges to fray in washing and in use and also because a single thickness of the reinforcing-sections is not for some purposes quite sufficient, and my pres ent invention relates to an underwaist of elastic material or fabric provided with reinforcing-sectionsin the form of flattened tubes of elastic material or fabric, which are attached to the body of the garment by elastic stitches, which preferably extend through the tube, near each edge, and the elastic body of the garment. This provides a structure which will not fray in wear or in washing and one that is stronger than the structure of the garment which I have made.

In the drawingsfl igure 1 is a view in front elevation of an'underwaist having the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of such an underwaist. Fig. 3 is a section, enlarged, upon the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, enlarged, of the elastic tube forming the re- Fig. 5 is a view insection of the tube upon the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

A represents the body-of the waist, made of any suitable elastic fabric, preferably having a whole back and a divided front, the edges of which front are preferably finished and united, as hereinafter described. To this elastic body I secureeither inside or outside, preferably outside, the flattened tubular elastic reinforcing-sections B. The principal tubular elastic reinforcing-sections are continuous upon the front and the back of the garment, extending over the shoulder and crossing each other, as represented in Fig. 2, or not, as may be desired. WVith them when crossed at the back there maybe used a short additional tubular section extending from the crossingpoint of the main sections to the lower edge of the garment. (See Fig. 2.) Thetuloular sections may also be applied to the edges of the waist upon each side of the front opening and may surround the neck-opening, and

waist and surround the arm openings where the waist is sleeveless. They are united to the body, preferably, by the straight elastic seams or lines of stitches G, which pass through the flattened tubes, near each edge thereof, and through the body-section. In

lieu of these straight-line stitches overstitching may be employed; butI preferthe straight stitching, because the stitches are more pro= tected and because it provides a better finish.

The tubes 13 are woven, knitted, or formed as a whole and with an elastic stitching or weaving, and they are then flattened and in their flattened form applied to the body of the garment. The upper ends of the side sections may be cut to fit them to the armholes. The buttons connecting the two parts of the front are attached to one of the edges of said part thus provided or equipped with the flat= tened tube, and buttonholes are formed in the edge of the other part so equipped with the flattened tube, and attaching buttons or devices are secured to the body of the garment and the flattened tubes in their appropriate places.

For some uses the side reinforcements and the reinforcement-s about the edges of the front opening and the neck may be dispensed with, or they maybe made as described in my said Letters Patent.

The advantages of the invention have already been stated.

It will be seen that the elastic reinforcements being of an elastic tubular structure are seamless and continuous throughout, both in respect to their inner and outer parts, and

they may also be secured to the sides of the l V I they thus not only provide a very strong roinforcement, butalso means which permit of their being attached to the body portion by parallel seams placed at or close to the edges thereof, thereby holding the entire structure in a flat form to the body portion. It will be also observed that any sections of the tubular structure may provide the finished edges however the structure may be flattened. It will further be seen that by attaching the reinforcements near their outer edges the full strength or value of the reinforcements is obtained.

Having thus f uiiy described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States The underwaist for supporting nether gar- THOMAS E. FITZPATRIOK. Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d,

J. M. DOLAN. 

